emollient

Advancedzipf 2.09

Pronunciation

/ɪˈmɒliənt/(ih-MOL-ee-unt)

Part of speech

adjective / nounformal

Chinese

润肤的；使人平静的（也指润肤剂）

Definition

Having the quality of softening or soothing the skin; attempting to avoid confrontation or calm anger.

Word family

  • (no common derivatives)

Collocations

  • emollient cream
  • emollient tone
  • emollient words
  • emollient effect

Examples

  1. 1.The dermatologist recommended an emollient to soothe the dry, cracked skin. (moisturizer)
  2. 2.His emollient tone helped defuse the tense standoff between the two parties. (soothing, calming)

Synonyms

  • soothing/ˈsuːðɪŋ/— calming
  • mollifying/ˈmɒlɪfaɪɪŋ/— reducing anger
  • conciliatory/kənˈsɪliətəri/— intended to pacify

Etymology

from Latin "emollire" — e- (out) + mollire (to soften) — "mollis" = soft — making soft